How Healthy is Your Gut?

How Healthy is Your Gut?

How Healthy is Your Gut?

How healthy is your Gut? Gut health is related to overall health. If your gut is out of balance, so many other health issues are more likely to occur. It’s not only about gas and bloating, but it could be fatigue, muscle aches, joint pain, sinus problems, headaches, sleep problems, weight gain, PMS, or skin problems, like eczema, acne, rashes, or psoriasis.

Many gut issues stem from poor diet and stress. Over the long-term, these cause something called leaky gut. This occurs when the lining of the small intestine, which is meant to be tight and act as a barrier to keep the contents of the intestines from leaking into the bloodstream, begins to break down. Obviously, this is not a good thing.

The bad thing about this breakdown is that it allows molecules of partially digested proteins (from food) or pathogens like bacteria, to flow out into the bloodstream. This can cause not only digestive issues but also system-wide issues. The food particles get into the bloodstream and the body doesn’t recognize them because that’s not where they should be.

 

Guess what happens next?
Food intolerance. You can become sensitive to food and have it be hard to digest. When you eat it, you may not feel so well or find it hard to digest. This is a bit different than a food allergy. The most common offenders are wheat/gluten, dairy, soy, and eggs. These symptoms would be gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, joint pain, skin issues, fatigue, brain fog, and/or headaches.

If you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, or Celiac Disease it is unclear whether the leaky gut is a cause or effect, but it is clear that it is in some way involved.

So, when you have a leaky gut, your body is trying to figure out what to do with the food particles in the bloodstream. This activates your immune system and it attacks them because they are “foreign” to the bloodstream. Unfortunately, those particles are sometimes mistaken as body tissue, which turns on your immune system and attacks your own body. This is known as an autoimmune response. This is why a leaky gut can cause harm to your whole body.

If you have an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, or rheumatoid arthritis, the root cause, or trigger may be leaky gut syndrome. Any of these diseases on this list may be triggered by leaky gut:

Asthma
Chronic sinusitis
Eczema
Hives
Migraines
Fungal disorders
Fibromyalgia

What causes a leaky gut?

Eating processed foods and sugars. Processed foods cause inflammation and the inflammatory response can cause leaky gut. Sugar weakens your immune system and depletes your body of nutrients. Stress is also a factor. When you are stressed over the long term, your body slows down digestion and your food is not properly absorbed.

Healing your gut.

Luckily, your gut can heal. It will take a little time, it’s not a quick fix and it will take a bit of effort. Given the choice of an autoimmune disease vs. making a few changes in lifestyle, I think you’ll pick the latter.

Here’s how you start.

  1. Cut out all sources of added sugar
  2. Switch to a whole-food, organic diet
  3. Do an elimination diet to find out which foods are causing the problem
  4. Eliminate other inflammatory foods such as alcohol, processed foods, and vegetable oils
  5. Use gut repair herbs (I can suggest good ones) and bone broth
  6. Supplement with digestive enzymes, probiotics, and pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements
  7. Reduce your stress (meditation, yoga, etc.). Stress depletes the body of Zinc, Magnesium, and B vitamins.
  8. Reduce the use of antibiotics and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) like ibuprofen
  9. Do the 28 day Gut Matters Program which starts with prep week March 5th. This supports you in doing all of the above in a simple, easy-to-follow system.



Your cleanse kit includes pharmaceutical-grade nutritional supplements (Cellsentials) and a Bring Balance Bundle. The total price for the whole 28 days is only the cost of your cleanse pack, $136.95 + tax. That’s an amazing deal for all those products as well as the coaching sessions.

Bring the Balance Bundle offers three high-quality USANA supplements for a happy, healthy belly. Support your microflora with USANA Probiotic, USANA Digestive Enzyme, and Hepasil DTX:

  • USANA Probiotic: Carry a blend of 12 billion friendly, active bacteria in a convenient, on-the-go stick pack to support a strong, healthy gut and immune defense—even through times of occasional stress.
  • USANA Digestive Enzyme: Aid in efficient digestion and relieve discomfort from fullness or bloating with plant-based enzymes and active phytonutrients found in artichoke extract.
  • Hepasil DTX: Stay energized and support your body’s detoxification process with a unique blend of phytochemicals and Olivol olive-fruit extract, combined using Nutritional Hybrid Technology.

Here is a link to purchase your supplies for the cleanse. https://healthcoachdonna.usana.com/s/4FJ8s

If you are already taking the USANA cellsentials then all you need to order is the Bring Balance Bundle.

SET YOUR CALENDARS for the 28 Day Group beginning Sunday March 13th!
Prep week begins March 5th. Here is your list of topics for WEEK 1 that will be posted on the Gut Matters 28 Day Facebook Group for participants at https://www.facebook.com/groups/28daygutmatters

If you have any questions, or need help, I’m here to support you. If you want to join the program, just send me an email at Donna@DonnaAcupuncture.com

Have a great week. Donna

Grab the New Book!